Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for the vaccination and diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a minicircle vector that is expressed in a mammalian host cell to produce virus-like particles of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV).
Description of the Related Art
The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a prototypic aphthovirus within the Picornaviridae family, is the causative agent of a highly infectious and sometimes fatal disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, deer and other animals with cloven hooves. There are seven major FMDV antigenically distinct virus serotypes (A, O, C, Asia 1 and South African Territories or SAT 1, 2 and 3) and multiple subtypes or topotypes exist within each serotype. Infection with any one serotype does not confer protective immunity against another. Serotype O is the most common serotype worldwide.
After an animal is infected with the FMDV, the first signs of illness usually appear within 2 to 14 days: high fever for 2-3 days followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
FMD outbreaks cause significant agro-economic losses and severe implications for animal farming throughout much of the world. For example, the outbreak of FMD in the U.K. in 2001 was estimated to cost the U.K. £8 billion, including 6 million slaughtered livestock. Since the virus causing the disease is highly contagious and can be spread by infected livestock through aerosols, through contact with contaminated farming equipment, vehicles, clothing, or feed, and by domestic and wild predators, the containment of FMD demands considerable efforts in vaccination, strict monitoring, trade restrictions, and quarantines, and sometimes, the culling of animals.